THE FUNDAMENTALS
We are all aware of the importance of performance. Everyone wants to be successful. Getting there however is the problem that we often run into. As I learned as a young kid playing sports, it all starts with the fundamentals; a foundation to build off of. When striving to be successful in business you will need to know these basic fundamentals: the importance of relationships, approachment of goals, and approachment of lifestyle.
THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATIONSHIPS
We are all aware that we will not get along with every single person that we encounter in life. However, that does not necessarily mean we can get away from these people. And for most of us, we have to work side-by-side with at least one of ‘said’ persons on a daily basis. Or maybe you get along just fine with your co-workers. Either way, when I look what can help make you successful as an individual, or as a company whole, I believe it comes down to this:
OPEN YOUR MIND TO LEARN AND UNDERSTAND PEOPLE!!!
We often too quickly judge and make assumptions of others before getting to know them. You’re going to have to work with this person no matter what, so you might as well try and get to know them. Learn, analyze, and interpret how they react in different situations so that you can get the maximum positive effort out of them. This not only helps them, but helps you as well because now you can have a cohesion and bond from understanding who they are. For instance, our offensive line is the go-to guys. We are the foundation and have to have a special bond to work productively. When we know and trust that our teammate is doing his job, it eases our mind on doing ours.
APPROACHMENT OF GOALS
Many people know how to set their goals, but they forget one MAJOR detail: how are you going to achieve those goals? In football, I’ve learned that you want to keep your end goal in mind. However, it is vital that you focus on smaller, tangible goals. This is what I like to call the process of achieving the goals. One may see goals such as:
-Making a lot of money -Becoming the manager -Getting a pay raise
-Starting my own business -Being the best at what you do
While these goals are a great end goal, there has to be a way to get there, otherwise it will never happen. When you focus on the little tasks that will make you a better businessman, ultimately you will be. But it won’t happen overnight. With being an offensive lineman in football, I can speak specifically on my goals. I want to be a dominant pass blocker. To get there I have to start with footwork, technique, strength, and confidence. I have to continue to do little drills to perfect each one of these little smaller goals. By not focusing on the ultimate goal, I can perfect the little goals and achieve those, which will eventually make me the dominant pass blocker that I set out to be.
APPROACHMENT OF LIFESTYLE
When we find something we are passionate about, it can be a good thing—but it can also be a bad thing as well. I’ve constantly dealt with the ups and downs of football. If I have a good game or practice, it can help boost my overall mood. On the flipside, if things didn’t go as I planned them to, it can affect the way I approach the rest of day, or sometimes multiple days. I see this often happen in the business world. People come home upset from work and it affects the rest of their personal lives. So how do you fix this? With me, I had to take some time and reflect on my life. I had to look at the other important things that I live for; my ultimate purpose. My coach always says this quote, and it gets me every time he says it:
“Football is a PART of our lives—it is not WHO we are”
When I realized this, the game became more fun to me. I don’t let little mistakes eat at me, and it decreases my negative thoughts on the rest of my personal life. You cannot let whatever you do consume you. So when you’re at work and something doesn’t go the way you planned it would, take a step back and relax. See the reality of the situation play out, and move on from it. You cannot control the past, but you dictate how you approach the future.
CONCLUSION
There is always a lesson to be learned with every experience that you have. With me, comparing the future business world to football has been the most successful way for me thus far. These lessons are just a few that I have taken away that can help anyone in their career path, and life in general.
Tackling Business 